Fernando w



(No Model.)

I. W. ANDRUS.

GAME. I

Patented Feb. 11, 1896.

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NlTED ATENT FFICE.

FERNANDO WV. ANDRUS, OF VVATERTOWVN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SAMUEL RAMSDEN, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

GAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,357, dated February 11, 1896. Application filed August 15, 1895. Serial No. 559,348. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FERNANDO W. ANDRUS, of Watertown, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Games, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and figures on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to construct a game especially designed for lawns, yet it may be used indoors.

The invention comprehends essentially a wire held at an elevation of, say, ten feet by suitable end supports, the wire being made quite long-as, for instance, about sixty feet-and a ball is attached to the lower end of a cord which is suspended from. a roller support or yoke carrying a rolleradapted to travel along the wire, the cord being made of such length as to hold the ball in suspension a few inches above the ground. A suitable number of pins-such as ordinary tenpins-may be set up on the ground at one end of the apparatus, being disposed in different ways beneath the wire, and as a person standing near the opposite end of the apparatus throws the ball to knock down the pins the roller travels along the wire. The wire is held taut and therefore straight. Considerable skill may be exercised in throwing the ball.

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the game apparatus embodying this invention; Fig. 2,

a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, an end view of one of the end supports which may be used for the wire.

The wire a, which may be of any suitable length-as, for instance, sixty or seventy feet-is held in elevated position by end supports I) b, they being herein shown as made of strips of wood crossing each other and secured together. The wire a may pass over the tops of these supports and thence downward toward the ground, the ends being secured to suitable stakes 0. Suitable turnbuckles cl are or may be provided for tightening the wire a. The wire is thus supported in horizontal position and at an elevation of, say, ten feet above the ground, and upon being drawn taut is therefore straight.

A ball 6 is connected to the lower end of a cord f suspended from a roller support or yoke g, carrying a roller h, mounted upon the wire a and adapted to travel along said wire as the ball is thrown. The cord f is made of such length as to normally hold the ball 6 a few inches above the ground.

The ball e may be detachably connected with the cord f, if desired, and in such case the lower end of the cord f may have a hook, which enters an eye projecting from the ball. Balls of different sizes and different weights may thus be used.

A number of pins are set up near one of the end supports and beneath the wire a, being disposed in numerous ways, and a person standing near the opposite support may throw the ball 6 and knock down the pins, the roller h at such time traveling along the wire a.

Adjustable collars u may be secured to the wire Ct near the end supports to limit the movement of the roller in each direction, and when the ball is thrown and the roller 77. travelin g along the wire strikes one of the collars or stops the wire is caused to vibrate somewhat, which has a tendency to cause the roller to return more or less, so that, if desired, the pins may be knocked down on both the go and return movements of the ball.

As herein shown, nine pins are disposed in a square near one of the end supports in such manner that three pins, as 3, rest directly be neath and in line with the wire a, and at each side of said row of pins there will be two pins 2, and beyond the pins 2 there will be single pins 1, and a short distance in advance of the head pin a single pin, as 10, may be set, which may be called a forfeit-pin. In playing the game with the pin-s disposed in this man-- nor the three pins 3 which are in line with the wire may count three points each, while the forfeit-pin may count a loss of ten points, and the pins 2 at each side of the three central pins may count two points each, and the endmost pins, 1, one point each; but so far as my invention is concerned I desire it to be understood that the pins may be disposed in diiferent ways.

I claim- 1. A game apparatus consisting of the wire a, supports therefor at the ends, a set of pins adapted to be placed under the wire near one end, the ball 0 for knocking down said pins, its suspension-cord f, and roller 71, on the Wire a, to the support of Which said cord is attached, said roller traveling along the Wire when the ball is thrown substantially as described.

2. A game apparatus consisting of the Wire a, supports therefor at the ends, a set of pins adapted to be placed under the Wire near one end, the ball 6 for knocking down said pins, its suspension-cord f, roller 7L to the support of which said suspension-cord is attached,

said. roller traveling along the wire when the i 5 ball is thrown, and the adjustable collars n on the Wire a near the ends thereof, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of 20 

